Rebel Road partnered with the Muskegon Motorcycle Club to organize the ice racing event as a celebration of the motorcycle club’s 100th anniversary and to raise money for the Child Abuse Council of Muskegon County.

“Canceling the Dan Raymond Invitational was not an easy decision to make, but we thought it was the right thing to do in light of recent developments in Michigan and across the country,” Kyleen Gee, executive director of The Child Abuse Council of Muskegon County, said in a March 12 press release. “The health and wellbeing of the people we serve and our local community are central to the mission of the Child Abuse Council, and we believe this decision supports that mission.”

The Dan Raymond Invitational was a family-focused event that anticipated more than 1,000 spectators at the March 20 races, which would have included professional and amateur racers from all over the country.

The decision comes after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and state health officials asked communities to cancel or postpone public gatherings of 100 or more people in order to slow the spread of the coronavirus, an infectious disease.

“Community support for the Dan Raymond Invitational has been amazing,” said Gee. “We want to thank everyone who purchased tickets or otherwise supported the event.”